Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-11-08

Of those who used cigars filled their
pockets, as the same cigars that cost
4 bit in Texas can be had for 50 cents
a dozen in Mexico, on account of the
difference in import duties. Custom
officers were stationed at each end of
the bridge, but they probably did
not take the party to be smugglers
and passed them by without search
ing or oven asking questions. Ma
sons-if they could be called masons
were at work putting up an adobe
building ON one of the streets. The
material used is kind of brick made
out of black mud with straw mixed |
in il and moulded into blocks about
g inches wide and 10 inches long and
4 OF inches thick. These are dried |
in the sun and then laid in mortar of
the same material. The walls being
up the fiat roof is made of straw or
mud supported by poles and you have
the building ready for occupancy.
1t has no floor, as q rule, and the
windows aud doors have the simplest
of board shutters. No wonder Mex
leo is not keeping pace with the pro-
gress and enlightenment of the day,
when her towns are inhabited by
such shiftless, trifling sets of citi-
zens, who continue to build and live
in mud houses even after Americans
have come amongst them and set the
example of building decent, comfort
able houses. The streets were lined
with beggars who be,et the visitors
on all sides with a jabbering mix
ture of Spanish and bad English and
held out their hands to receive the
aims. Some of these even crossed
the river and infested the streets of
Ell Paso.
1t was about 5 o'clock Saturday
afternoon when the train left Ell Paso
headed for Ft. Worth, GIG miles dis
tant and l,4S5 miles from the start
ing point. This part of the trip was
over the Texas & Pacific road, one of
the best roads into whose hands !
have fallen in the west. The wealth
or was delightful and the journey
was mostly through the fine prairie
pastures of Texas, which are far
a head of any other grazing lands
1 saw. The grass was a foot
high in many places and there were
streams and ponds of water all along
where stock could drink without
having to go for miles to find water,
as is the case in other parts of the
West. This fine country continued
almost without interruption for 800
miles and then the settled portion of
the State was reached. Several con-
siderable towns were passed, of which
Weatherford and Abilene were the
most important. Abilene is the
town laid out by Col. j. Stoddard
Johnston about seven years ago and
is the county-seat of Taylor county.
In this county and the adjoining one
of Jones several ex-Hopkinsvillians
now live, among whom are l.. NJ.
Buie, b. f, Buie, Jno. B. Bell and
Frank Ii. Campbell. Weatherford
is quite a city. Here 1 met two or
three of the Penn boys, who formerly
lived at Cerulean Springs. They
have been living there for about
three years. Fort Worth was reach
ed Sunday night and L spent Mon
day there. 1 found quite colony of
young men from Hopkinsville at Eft.
Worth. L. p. Ennis had just re-
turned from Denver, where he had
been to fill a matrimonial engage
mcnt. G. E. Trice, 4. B. Burbridge,
Geo. w. Gibson, Phil Gather, Felix |
Gather and JEFF Killebrew are all
there and had the pleasure of meet
ing them all. am indebted to Trice
& Burbridge for numerous courtesies
and attentions shown me while in
their city. They are the leading real
estate firm of TT. Worth and their
friends will be glad to learn that
they are doing hourishing and lu-
crative business. The other young
men named all have positions as
salesmen at good salaries. 1 found
TT. Worth to be flOurishing, grow
ing city of 10000 inhabitants, with
property just about half as high as
in California cities. 1t is backed by
fine country and splendid natural
resources and will some day be a
large city. Its growth has been SOL
id and substantial and will steadily
continue without the aid of a boom,
if the signs are not misleading. l
left TT. Worth Monday night and
got to TT. Scott, Kan, Tuesday after
noon. Here 1 changed cars for
Memphis but failed by several hours
to make close connection. A run of
ten hours more brought me to this
place, where l must remain for sever
al hours. If nothing happens TO pre-
vent 1 shall reach Hopkinsville in a
day or two more, thoroughly con-
WINGED that a great many mistakes
can be made by Kentuckians who
leave their homes expecting to find
better places than Kentucky.
G. NJ. NJ.